THE GENERATION GAMES

From toddling nephews to 90-something grannies, here’s how to ensure all the different age groups at your wedding can enjoy the celebrations together

words Elizabeth Chester

Lego, dominoes and chess. Not what you might immediately think of when it comes to wedding planning, but bear with us. Wedding guests can often span the decades in age from newborns to nonagenarians. So, you need to plan a day that caters to everyone’s ages and personalities. Yes, it’s easy to set up a craft station for the young (and young at heart!) but what about games that guests from every age can enjoy together? Here are some of our favourite ways for guests to play on your wedding day, whatever their age.

Board games

With chess clubs being popular in schools, children as young as five can master the checkerboard as well as granny who may have been playing for decades. Either set up a chess station where guests can take it in turns to play, à la The Queen’s Gambit, or hire a giant chessboard for outside play. We were recently wowed by a couple who played human chess using their guests as the pieces on an outdoor chessboard. Of course, the bride and groom were the king and queen, and other guests took their places as the other pieces. But it doesn’t have to be chess. Draughts, dominoes and even Lego building can be accomplished whatever your age.

Another idea that’s trending right now is a bespoke puzzle – an image of the happy couple made into a jigsaw, for example. Guests are then asked to complete the puzzle throughout the day so each guest can put a puzzle piece or two (or hundreds, depending on the size of your jigsaw!) into place. Puzzles and board games will also ensure any guests who are less mobile or unable to stand for long periods feel they have really participated in the day without having to move far.

Racquet games

Although probably not ideal for your very young guests, wedding badminton could fit nicely into an outdoor reception space for those of school age and above. You could keep a league table so guests can play each other sporadically throughout the day and then move their name up or down the chart according to who has won. The player at the top of the chart at the end of the day can then be crowned Wed-minton Winner! The same can be done with table tennis, too. Younger guests could oversee the league table and even announce the winner.

Arcade games

Hiring retro arcade games and tabletop games like pinball and table football will ensure your guests young and old are catered for. You could even decorate your games area in vintage styling for the older generation. Or, if you have the space, you could have games and entertainment through the ages, starting with the likes of a coin pusher or a Punch and Judy puppet show and moving on to ‘80s style games such as Pacman and more recent games such as Arcade Hoops Basketball. Your guests could then meander through your arcade

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of the ages, reminiscing about the games they used to play or trying out something new.

Lucky dip

Mobility issues – either young (toddling over) or old (needing a hand to stand) – won’t be relevant when it comes to a mobile lucky dip. Ask a responsible member of your wedding party to walk around your reception with a lucky dip box and ask your guests to have a dig around to see what they can find. This is a great game for grandparents and grandchildren to do together and should make for some wonderful photography: cue surprised faces please! Prizes could include personalised fortune cookies, luxury marshmallows or macarons, or even a voucher for a drink of your choice from the bar. The lucky dip idea can be used in place of favours, too.

Spinning wheel

A wedding spin-the-wheel is sure to cause hilarity and chaos in equal measure. Either team up in pairs (one spins and one calls out or completes the action) or let people spin and call at random. Ideas for the spinning wheel include forfeits, dares (sensible ones!), treats or just wedding-worthy suggestions like ‘now kiss the bride’ or ‘dance with the maid of honour’.

Name That Tune

Another game that spans the generations is the allinclusive Name That Tune. Ask your DJ or, if you’re not having one, a willing member of the wedding party. You could split your guests into teams with each team having someone from every age bracket in their team (e.g. 0-15, 15-30, 30-45, 45-60, 60+). The host then plays the first few seconds of a selection of songs and each team must try and guess the song. The team with the most correct answers wins.

World records

Pre-teens are likely to love this one. Choose as many random world records as you can and see if any of your guests can be record-breakers on your big day. Examples include: how many hops can you do on a pogo stick? How long can you keep a hula hoop spinning? What’s the highest number of keepie-uppies you can do with a balloon? You get the idea. Using simple props and non-dangerous world record attempts, this should keep guests who love a challenge – whatever their age – busy. And you never know, your wedding day may also produce a brand new world record!